It's My Thing
by frostyfreezyfreeze54
Summary: Teenagers Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith don't heed their parents' advice about taking helicopter tours around New York City. Maybe they'll think next time before they...well, at this point, act like you know.


_It's My Thing - EPMD (Brentwood, Long Island, New York)_

Starring: Erick "E-Double" Sermon, Parrish "PMD" Smith, Donald "Diamond J" Jones

SEASON 1 (Strictly Business)

EPISODE 1

Original Airdate: July 24, 1987 on ABC

Settings: Areas in Brentwood, Long Island, New York, Madison Square Garden, Liberty Island

Writers: Erick Sermon, Parrish Smith

Director: Erick Sermon

Producer: Diamond J

Editor: Special K, Teddy Ted

Featured Music: "The Wall" by Pink Floyd, "Seven Minutes of Funk" by The Whole Darn Family, "Long Red" by Mountain, "It's My Thing" by Marva Whitney, "Different Strokes" by Syd Johnson

In this world, music now functions as movies (with tie-in television shows), movies are now television, and television is now music. The musical movie plots are often related to the music itself. Like Michael Jackson. At this time, his movie _Bad _was a month away from being released in theatres and the latest season of his television show was buildup to that (episodes like "Bad," "Smooth Criminal," and the very special episode "Man in the Mirror" were heavily praised).

The hip-hop genre in television was still being looked at as commercially unsuccessful, not being as popular as pop or rock. Rap combined elements of drama, comedy, and adventure. In the spring of 1986, the Queens-based rap group Run-D.M.C. released their third film _Raising Hell, _which made $10,556,274 during its opening weekend (seen as incredible numbers at the time). Eventually, heading into the summer of 1986, _Raising Hell _had made at least $30,000,000 at the box office. It was the highest-selling rap film at the time until the Beastie Boys' _Licensed to Ill, _released the same year, surpassed it (reaching the $50 million mark, and reported as having reached $90,000,000 in December 2001).

ABC, which had only marketed Run-D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys as viable rap powerhouses, started a new programming block based around hip-hop. Set to air on Friday nights, it was known as TGIF. LL Cool J made around $40-50,000,000 for _Bigger and Deffer, _and his second season was well-received by fans and critics (featuring the controversial "I Need Love" and the fairytale "My Rhyme Ain't Done"). However, Cool J wasn't planning anything new in 1988, and was going to take a break. After the blockbuster success of _Raising Hell, _Run-D.M.C. were now big celebrities and a huge media bombardment was planned in 1987: A fourth season beginning in the spring, their new film _Tougher Than Leather_ in the summer, a blaxploitation video game of the same name, and a book on the group's success. However, after a company dispute with Def Jam Productions owner Russell Simmons and Profile Productions owner Cory Robbins, everything was put on hold. Run-D.M.C. wanted to switch production companies and officially become part of Def Jam, but Profile had them locked in a seven-season and seven-movie contract. The Beastie Boys were forced by Def Jam to start their second season and second film if they wanted the cash advance from _Licensed to Ill, _but the tired MCA, Ad-Rock and Mike D didn't want to and sued Def Jam. At the time, ABC was developing darker, grittier, more street-oriented hip-hop shows and movies than ever before. It was known amongst fans and critics as rap's new school. Jokes were subtler, there was a distinct wit and sophistication, and more dramatic scenes.

Long Island-based Eric B. & Rakim had released their first special _Eric B. Is President/My Melody _in the fall of 1986, and episodes of their first season began airing in the spring of 1987. Public Enemy had released _Public Enemy #1 _in the summer of 1986, and episodes of their first season began airing in the winter of that same year. Boogie Down Productions had released _South Bronx _that same time and episodes of their first season started airing the same time as well. The spring of 1987 saw two huge film releases for ABC: BDP's _Criminal Minded _in March and P.E.'s _Yo! Bum Rush the Show _a month later. Neither movie did well at the box office, which ABC executives found disappointing, but were both critically acclaimed. Public Enemy was already working on season two and their second movie _It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back _at the time, and it was seen as harsher, darker, and more insightful than the first season/film. There were also strong political, Afrocentric themes. The first taste of this was in the special _Rebel Without a Pause _in the summer of 1987. Eric B. & Rakim's _Paid in Full _and _Bigger and Deffer _were both released the same month in July, and both received critical and commercial success in the rap community. Public Enemy, Eric and Ra, and LL were all going on a mall tour around America and Europe for a couple months, with Boogie Down Productions filling in at select dates.

Episodes of Public Enemy's and Boogie Down Productions' second season would start airing in December 1987, along with Biz Markie's first season in the fall. The spring of 1988 would be a big one: The return of Eric B. & Rakim, the much-anticipated first season of Big Daddy Kane, and the debut of these little-known Long Island boys called EPMD.

In June 1987, with no major film releases in the fall or winter to speak of, ABC had a freer schedule. Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith walked in with their test run tape _It's a Pilot, _and ABC loved it so much they commissioned a double special a month from then, like Eric B. & Rakim got. Sermon and Smith returned three days later with the script for _It's My Thing, _and decided to release the second part of the special a month after. Everything was written, produced, and directed by EPMD themselves. They got their friend Donald "Diamond J" Jones to be their producer. However, they didn't create the script for commercial breaks, so Special K and Teddy Ted were brought in to help out with that. Plus, they edited _It's My Thing _themselves. This is how Sermon learned. Late-night show host Red Alert often told stories about taking helicopter tours with his friend around New York, and that's how the main plot came about.

Filming took place from July 2 - July 10, 1987, two weeks before the premiere date. Smith recalled it as fun but very tiring, being 19 at the time of filming. Test audiences found the special entertaining and predicted EPMD would be very valuable to ABC in a few years, months even. On July 23, the night before the world premiere, Red Alert played a clip of _It's My Thing _on his show, and the reception was very positive. EPMD had arrived.


End file.
